Arizona has an official song that is being used to help promote tourism. Arizona Office of Tourism Director Margie Emmermann talks about the song and the tourism industry.
Ted Simons:
The Arizona music project will strike the right note with potential tourists. It's a six-minute musical suite that will capture imagination, along with the video shown with it. It's been sent to use as municipalities see fit. The song will be performed in venues across the state. I'll talk with the director of the office of tourism, but first, here is the Arizona music project. ��
Ted Simons:
And joining us right now is the director of the Arizona office of tourism. Margie, good to have you on the program. That's a nice piece of work there.
Margie Emmermann:
thank you, Ted, it was an exciting project for us.
Ted Simons:
How did the idea come about?
Margie Emmermann:
We wanted something that really brought attention to Arizona in a different way, just to really bring diversity and some just different people to Arizona that maybe never would have thought about us.
Ted Simons:
And the composer, how did you find him?
Margie Emmermann:
He is somebody that has done scores for the Arizona office of tourism, and this is something that is a passion for him. He was a natural for us.
Ted Simons:
Were the musicians recruited? Did they come to you for this project?
Margie Emmermann:
We did it in the most popular way of doing things today. Jason found them through Myspace. He advertised and the musicians came to him. He is the composer and he managed the project for us.
Ted Simons:
You're the director of the office of tourism?
Margie Emmermann:
I am the director, but we worked through our advertising agency on this project, and Jason was the composer that works with us on this project. So it was a labor of love, a lot of people came together on this.
Ted Simons:
What do you like best about the song and the video?
Margie Emmermann:
It really exemplifies the diversity of Arizona. Music has way of touching people, bringing them together. I like the fact that it really exemplifies -- it's an original composition with four movements. We have four dimensions for the Arizona office of tourism that really encompasses the breadth and beauty of this state.
Ted Simons:
You can always find somebody with a problem, but I would imagine the response would be pretty positive.
Margie Emmermann:
700 industry leaders, also industry critics, they loved it. Governor Napolitano was in the audience, and they absolutely fell in love with it. On the website, at myspace.com, is where a lot of people have been seeing this. And on our own website, Arizonaguide.com. They have received a lot of hits and good comments.
Ted Simons:
This is the first time your office has done something like this, obviously very successful. When is the next one?
Margie Emmermann:
Not only is it the first time, just so that you know, it's the first time that any tourism office has done it. There's a lot of work and preparation, so we want to savor the success of this one for a while.
Ted Simons:
In other words, enjoy it.
Margie Emmermann:
Enjoy it, yes.
Ted Simons:
I've got to ask you, since we've got you here, there are a lot of budget concerns around the state. The office of tourism I'm sure has concerns, as well. Talk about in this climate what you're most concerned about and where you see the office of tourism going from here.
Margie Emmermann:
You know, the office has had some wonderful successes. This is a very solid industry. We just finished a spectacular year, 2007 was very solid for us. We are um,-- we're just looking ahead to 2008. We've seen a little bit of a dip, no doubt about it. The industry is going to rebound from that little dip, and we just see a lot of good things for tourism in the state.
Ted Simons:
What are you seeing so far, regarding the Super Bowl?
Margie Emmermann:
The numbers aren't in yet. The super bowl was a very, very solid super bowl. It was the most-watched super bowl of any in its history. It wasn't just the super bowl, though, it was the F.B.R. open, the rock and roll marathon, all the things that come to the state of Arizona. Our destination is very desirable, and I think we're seeing that. We've been able to weather some of the downturn other states have seen, and I think the fact that our industry hasn't panicked, we haven't sacrificed rates or done a lot of things that other destinations have done, we're going to sustain through this little bit of a downturn.
Ted Simons:
you certainly did a wonderful job with the Arizona music project. Wonderful video, wonderful song, congratulations.
Margie Emmermann:
Thanks.
Margie Emmermann:Director, Arizona Office of Tourism;
